A cross of contention in the desert

Symbol at the heart of a saga

Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times

Henry and Wanda Sandoz at the cross on Sunset Rock in the Mojave National Preserve. The cross, erected in 1934 as a tribute to World War I veterans, was stolen, but the Sandozes plan to raise a new one on the site.

Henry and Wanda Sandoz at the cross on Sunset Rock in the Mojave National Preserve. The cross, erected in 1934 as a tribute to World War I veterans, was stolen, but the Sandozes plan to raise a new one on the site. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

In this photo from April 20, 2003, Jacob Overson, 16, walks near a covered-up cross after Easter sunrise services at the Mojave National Preserve. When a judge in Riverside ruled that the cross couldn't be displayed, it was wrapped in a tarp that was fastened, Houdini-style, at the base by chain and a padlock.

In this photo from April 20, 2003, Jacob Overson, 16, walks near a covered-up cross after Easter sunrise services at the Mojave National Preserve. When a judge in Riverside ruled that the cross couldn't be displayed, it was wrapped in a tarp that was fastened, Houdini-style, at the base by chain and a padlock. (Christine H. Wetzel / Associated Press)